Substrate Holder Removal Portion for Uniform Plating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Variations in contact resistance between electric contacts and a seed layer on a substrate surface, caused by insulating materials or organic residues, lead to non-uniform plating film thickness during electroplating, compromising the uniformity of the plating process.
Innovation Solution
A substrate holder design with a removal portion that scrapes off insulating materials before the electric contact comes into contact with the substrate, ensuring uniform contact resistance by positioning the removal portion closer to the surface than the electric contact portion, allowing the electric contact to make direct contact with the cleaned area.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If multiple electric contacts are used to uniformly apply voltage to the substrate surface, then voltage uniformity is improved, but contact resistance variation increases when insulating materials are present
Solution Approach 1:
The electric contact is designed with a removal portion at its tip that automatically removes insulating materials from the substrate surface before the electric contact portion makes contact. This preliminary cleaning action ensures consistent contact resistance across all electric contacts, solving the problem of contact resistance variation caused by insulating residues on the substrate surface.
2Reliability
If electric contacts directly contact the substrate surface, then electrical connection is established, but insulating materials cause contact resistance variation
Solution Approach 1:
The removal portion at the tip of the electric contact performs preliminary cleaning by removing insulating materials from the substrate surface before the electric contact portion establishes electrical connection. This ensures both reliable electrical connection and uniform contact resistance across all contact points.
Solution Approach 2:
The removal portion acts as an intermediary element between the electric contact portion and the substrate surface. It prepares the contact interface by removing insulating barriers, enabling the electric contact portion to make clean, consistent contact with the conductive seed layer underneath.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If insulating thin film is formed on substrate, then substrate protection is achieved, but electric contact uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The removal portion at the tip of the electric contact automatically removes insulating thin films from the substrate surface during the contact establishment process. This preliminary removal action ensures that all electric contacts achieve uniform contact resistance with the conductive seed layer, regardless of the protective insulating film that was previously formed on the substrate.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design prevents variations in contact resistance, resulting in a more uniform plating film thickness across the substrate surface, even when insulating materials or organic residues are present, thereby enhancing the consistency of the electroplating process.
Implementation Method 1
a removal portion that is disposed along an outer circumference of the substrate when the substrate is put between the first holding member and the second holding member, and that comes into contact with the substrate and removes an insulating material on the substrate
Implementation Method 2
an electric contact portion that is disposed along the outer circumference of the substrate and that comes into contact with a region on the substrate in which the removal portion has removed the insulating material
Data Source
AI summary
A substrate holder includes: a first holding member having a surface configured to come into contact with the substrate; and a second holding member, between which and the first holding member the substrate is put and held. The second holding member includes a removal portion that is disposed along an outer circumference of the substrate and configured to come into contact with the substrate and remove an insulating material on the substrate when the substrate is put between the first holding member and the second holding member, and an electric contact portion that is disposed along the outer circumference of the substrate and configured to come into contact with a region on the substrate in which the removal portion has removed the insulating material when the substrate is put and held between the first holding member and the second holding member.